The Object Lesson – Tool Time Toothbrush
This lesson includes three toothbrushes. The first is a simple manual toothbrush, the second is a simple spin brush, and the third is a homemade toothbrush inspired by Home Improvement. On the old TV show Home Improvement the lead character Tim Taylor (played by Tim Allen) would constantly yearn for “more power.”
The homemade toothbrush involves attaching a regular tooth brush to a reciprocating saw that will rapidly move the brush back and forth. You can accomplish this two different ways. First, you can file and sand the handle of the brush until it is thin enough to snap into place as a blade. This gives a better effect, but takes a lot longer to accomplish. The second method involves cutting a slit in the middle of the brush handle so it can straddle a traditional blade. You can use electrical tape or duct tape to secure the brush in its position around the blade before snapping the blade into the saw. See the lesson video for the full effect.
Introduce the lesson by talking about how many people have switched to powered toothbrushes to better brush their teeth because more power means cleaner teeth. If a little more power is good, then a lot of power must be even better. This is when you reveal your new, ultra powerful, tooth brush that is sure to clean all the plaque off your teeth. The humor in this demonstration is that a reciprocal saw has more power than you could possibly need.
Bible Lesson – Same Power
There is a popular worship song by Jeremy Camp entitled “Same Power” with the following lyrics:
The same power that rose Jesus from the grave
The same power that commands the dead to wake
Lives in us, lives in us
The same power that moves mountains when He speaks
The same power that can calm a raging sea
Lives in us, lives in us
He lives in us, lives in us
This song is based, at least in part, on the promise that God has filled us with the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power (2 Timothy 1:7). The people of God are often tasked with difficult tasks, but they are also reminded that we don’t have to do it on own power. For example, we are told to make disciples of all the nations, but we are reminded that God will be with us always (Matthew 28:16-20). We are challenged to transform our lives to look more like Jesus (Philippians 2:5), but we are reminded that God is going to work in us to make this possible (Philippians 2:13).
God has enough power to raise Jesus from dead; surely he has enough power for whatever task lies in front of us.
Other Scriptures to Study
Here are some passages that speak about the power of God and the comfort we can find in his presence.
Wind and the Sea – Mark 4:35-41
The disciples are so terrified by a storm that they forget Jesus is in the boat with them, so Jesus demonstrates his great power. If Jesus is with us, we have nothing to fear because even the winds and the sea will obey him.
Immeasurable Power – Ephesians 1:18-19
Paul prays that we would know the “immeasurable greatness of God’s power.” God’s power is so vast, it cannot be quantified.
Beyond Imagination – Ephesians 3:20-21
God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine.
